Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-10-04
swARMINu SEALS
nooKr.rr or Irn ALASKAN COAST.

The following Il complied from Hubert
Howe Bsrcfoft's History OF Alaska
The seal grounds were Of great value
in many parts Of Alaska. When the Ra''
SLAMS 6pi wen, there, but where to-day
the catch IL inconsiderabIe. In the south
Pacific. lsss than fhy years ego. there
were rookeries frsquen,ed BY millions Of
seals, where nov only five OF ten thou
sand skins . year are obtained. A liks
fate would undoubtedly have ovsrsAksr
the PybiIof Islands Of Alssk. but 10,
the Intervention Of Congress Instead OF
the five millions u fur seals. which al
prssen, make those Islands their summer
resort, there would have been but lev
thousand. The seals return there every
year merely because no one u sllo-sd 10
Fighter them nth fire arms 90 Other
means, and because Of the sfra, cate and
method used during the 'laughierins
season.
When the seal. come in from the
north Pacific In early summer. they usa'
ally select their landing places on 'hs
soa,herly shores Of the PpbilOf ISLANDS,
attracted. IL IL supposed. by the scent Of
their old rOokeries. carried cut TO sea by
the prevailing north winds. Daring the
month Of May only few hundreds Of
full grown males are to be seen on the
grounds, but about the first week 10 June,
when the banks Of gray fcs begin 70
enshroud the islands. the males swain
In daily by thousands aud choose loea'
tons for their hsrem, close 70 high water
marx. TIE females arrive toward tho
end Of the month.
The early corners oi the males light
continually with the later arrivals fo'
possession Ct the beach. the weaker being
driven up higher from the water. The
contests are only between the fall.gro~n
male. for the choices, spots Veterans
have been known TO hsh, thirty OF forty
pitched battles in order TO maintain
their ground until the arrival OF the
kmal.s, and then those that held their
own are LETT undis,urbsd for the remain
der Of the season.
The oomba,snts approach wArily aud
With a,eried gaze. When AZ close
quarters they make isiris or passes like
pugili,is 10 tho ring. their heads darling
back and forth add eyes cleaning
After much preliminary roaring and
writing. they seirs each other with ihsii
long canine teeth. aud when the grip y
relaxed the skin and blabber Of one o.
both ATE scared with fuuo~s streaming
~i,h blood.
80 the sIongss, third Of the males
never permit the remaining t-o-'hifds to
land on the same pIsee With the females
Hence the grss, band Of bachelor seals
ate obliged TO live apart by themselves
sometimes miles away from the rooksrie'.
There the hunisr. can capture them. and
Siihou, disturbing the qaici Of The breed
ing ground. Sometimes they herd to-
s,,hsr Ia the rear OF the rooksries, reach
ins the place by path that b. been
LEI, for them. Along this path they pass
=, will day aud nigh, in eeaieless hlss,
No ssll conducted bachelor 10 moles,sd
on hi. way, but voc to him tina, does
no, keep sirsigh, on In the path OF 'nlii'
In The nsighborhood Of q hafem. The
lo.. Of Upper or Of life Is the 'ai'
PENALTY.
Daring the early part Of the season.
the bachelor seal. back but q fe~ rods
above high water mark. 80 that 20 effect
their capture requires the greatest caution.
At the his. glimpse of dawn, party Of
native. ate sent TO surround the seals aud
drive them 10 the .lsugkiering pens
The men .,sallhily crawl In between the
doring seals and surf. and then rising iC
their Zee, they drive the frightened All
NAL, before them. Brandi,hins their
club. ba, making =. little noise as pos
sibl-. the Aleais slo~lJ guide the crawling
and loping animals. In this manner.
under favorable circumstances. seyefa
thousand seal, may be driven by dozen
men. ba, usually only few hundred arc
taken q, time.
The seals are driven q, about the rate
Of half mile an hour. With ffsqasns
halis 10 allow time to col. /. heating
INJURIES the quality Ct the fur. Daring
the "dri,e" they never show fight. unless
few veterans should happen to be In
the drove. A. 5000 as the drivers drop
back = little TO allow them to halt. the
animals stop. pant. and fan themselves.
The els,,erins Of few bones OF . shoa,
causes the seals TO resume the march q,
onee.
Aboa, ! o'clock the seal. are secured
10 the ,laughiering pens, where they are
allowed 10 cool until the men have break.
tasted. Then the Aleuis come out, arm
ed with bludgeons. clubs, aud knives for
siabbing aud SHINING. A, . given sis.
nal the men step into the corral and
drive on, hundred or = hundred add
fifty OF the seals. When they are
huddled together and ~iihia e.sy reach
Of the clubs. the chief selects the animals
to be killed. These ale th,ns,unned by q
single blow Of . club. The animals are
not killed ., first. 90 thu, those having
mutila,ed skins make escape, and because
the skins will always 'poll within an
hour and half after the death Of the
seal. and sometimes within half an hour
II the day Is warm. A single blow oi
the bludgeon brushes in the irail bones Of
the victims skull and stretches him life.
lee.
The skins are taken TO the sslt.hoase.
where they are carefully examined and
the damaged ones rejected, but the loss
seldom exceeds oae per cent. They are
then sailed on the ilsshy aide and piled
fat TO fat IN "ksnehes." Salt IL thro~n
on the outer edges aud KEEP, In place by
sliding plsnks. Ia two or ihre weeks
they are picked. when they are taken IS
required. rolled into bundles oit~o. With
a.. a.. o.,,s..,I .nt o.. tt,htIx r.,.i.i